


Of transformations and love

by Notanotherspider



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:20:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24927595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notanotherspider/pseuds/Notanotherspider
Summary: An argument between Emma and Regina causes the blonde to lose control of her magic and transforms them both. This transformation will change the bonds of the family and the two women as they look for a way to reverse it, causing more problems along the way.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 19
Kudos: 184





	1. Chapter 1

"Concentrate at once!" Regina yelled out tired. She ran her hand across her forehead, frowning and shaking her head. She'd been in the vault for four hours, trying to teach Emma how to control her magic, but the woman seemed unable to follow the simplest command.

"I'm trying, Regina! I think that's enough for today." The blonde was frustrated. She had spent twenty-eight years living in a reality where magic did not exist, nor did the monsters, nor the evil queens who tried to kill her family. She had adapted as best she could to her new reality. To be the mother Henry needed; the daughter his parents desired; and the savior her people cried out for; but it was all overwhelming. The pressure she felt was too much. The expectations she carried were too great a burden.

"I don't care if you try. I want you to do it, Miss Swan! You're not even paying attention. Your mind is elsewhere. We haven't made any progress at all. This is a waste of time." Regina was frustrated, too. The lessons had begun a few weeks ago, and every accomplishment her apprentice achieved was increasingly short-lived.

"I'm sorry to be wasting your time, Your Majesty." Emma could see her teacher tensing up over every word she said, but she was too angry to care. They had agreed to maintain a cordial relationship for the sake of their son, but it seemed a small spark was enough to make everything explode between them.

"Why do you have to be so childish? You're a grown woman, act like one!" The mayor fired her words harshly.

"Maybe if I'd had a normal childhood, I'd behave like a mature person. Unless being mature means putting an entire town under a curse to get back at the shit I went through." Emma knew she'd crossed a line but it was too late to repent. The brunette advanced towards her with a murderous look.

"If you'd stop acting like a child, I'd treat you like a woman. Though I certainly doubt you're capable." Before she could answer her, a white lightning bolt fell from her hands. The other woman took a step back but didn't have time to stop the action. White and purple smoke mixed and spread all over the vault.

\- - -

"What time did Emma tell you she'd be back?" Snow asked Henry as she was making dinner. Her grandson was sitting at the kitchen table entertaining Neal.

"She didn't give me an exact time. Mom was determined to spend as much time as necessary until Ma showed progress in her lessons." Henry shrugged his shoulders and continued to play with the baby. His grandmother frowned at his response. Her relationship with her former stepmother had improved to the point that she considered her a friend, her best friend in fact. Her relationship with her daughter, on the other hand, was not at its best, especially since the arrival of her youngest son. She knew that Emma was having a difficult time watching her mother care for her little brother, care that she had been denied. Snow wrote a message to her husband asking him to stop by Regina's vault after work to invite the women to lunch and to check that they hadn't killed each other.

David rushed to the site after finishing his shift, partly alarmed by his wife's message and partly because he was too hungry. He entered the mausoleum and when there was no answer to his daughter's calls, he went inside to check that the place was indeed empty. He took a few steps towards the entrance of the vault and heard strange murmurs coming from inside. When he finally entered, his eyes widened in surprise at the scene he was contemplating. A blonde girl dressed only in a shirt that looked like Emma's was comforting another girl who was crying inconsolably for her father, dressed in a Regina shirt.

"Emma? Regina?" David bent down to the same height as the girls. The little blonde girl rushed to stand in front of the other and extended her arm in a protective manner.

"And who are you? How do you know our names?" The little girl inquired, clenching her fists and adopting a defiant expression. The brunette girl looked at him with tears in her eyes as she wiped her red cheeks with her hand. Charming was certainly confused, those girls couldn't have been more than five years old.

"Are you here to take us to our parents?" Regina asked in such an innocent tone that David couldn't help but smile.

"Gina, I don't have parents. I'm an orphan." The man felt a sharp pain in his chest when he heard his daughter. In the best way he could find, he pushed the pain out of his head and smiled gently at the girls.

"My name is David and I have come to take you home with me. My wife and I will look after you for a while." His eyes were clouded with tears as he saw his daughter's face turned into a girl. Emma had no childhood photos but for the first time he could see her that way.

"My mother is going to be very angry with me if I don't get to my lessons, Mr. David." Regina was visibly distressed, her eyes were covered with tears again. "I don't know what I'm doing here or how I got here. I'm going to be in trouble. I want my daddy." Emma wasn't quite sure how to offer her comfort, but instinctively she put her arms around the other girl and held her tightly. David smiled at the tenderness of the girls who had no clue who they were as adults.

"No one's going to be angry with you, Regina." The man knew he needed to invent something fast so the girls would leave with him, but if his daughter could detect a lie all would be lost. He sighed hesitantly. "I need you both to listen to me carefully." Both girls nodded. "Regina, your parents are not here. I'm not quite sure what happened here, but my wife and I are going to take care of you, both of you, until we get the answers we need." The girls looked at each other and Emma smiled at her friend as she held her hand.

"Are you a social worker or a foster parent?" His daughter walked over to him, tripping over her shirt and leading the other girl by the hand.

"Neither. Emma, I know this is going to be hard for you to understand, but I am your real father." The little girl opened her eyes and carefully studied the man's face.

"I don't have a daddy! I was abandoned!" The girl's eyes were covered with tears, her expression of anger. Not only had her biological parents left her, but the parents who were supposed to adopt her had given her back as a thing.

"Listen to me, Emma. Your mother and I have been looking for you all this time, princess. Something very bad happened and we lost you, but I promise you we're not gonna be separated anymore." The little blonde girl seemed to be stuck in the ground, her breath was labored as she tried to process what she had heard. It was what she had always dreamed would happen.

"Emmy?" Little Regina gently pulled her hand making the girl turn to look at her. "What's the matter? Aren't you happy your daddy found you?" The girl's smile was all the impetus she needed to run and jump into her father's arms. He held her tightly and could no longer hold back his tears as he whispered how much he loved her in his daughter's ear.

"Gina, come here! Come with us, I promise I'll always care for you." Little Emma opened her arms as wide as possible and the other girl ran to embrace her. "It's going to be all right, Gina. You're my friend and we won't be apart." David smiled as he wondered what the women he knew would think of the connection the girls had made.


	2. Chapter 2

Once outside the mausoleum, David noticed that Regina seemed increasingly afraid of the outside world. It took him a few minutes to realize that the whole world was strange to the little girl. Surely her memories were of the Enchanted Forest, how was he supposed to explain that reality to her. "Gina, honey. You're in a very different realm than yours now." The man bent down and looked her in the eye. "There's no reason to be afraid, I'm here with you and I'm going to make sure nothing bad happens to you." Emma frowned, not understanding what kingdoms her father was talking about.

"I'm going to protect you too, Gina!" The blonde exclaimed enthusiastically as she put her arm around the girl's shoulders. "I promise you, forever." The little brunette kissed her cheek and smiled contentedly. This made Emma blush and Charming laugh. The man kindly explained some of the basics of modernity so the little girl would lose her fear. He pointed out his car and explained how it worked. Once they were both inside, David called his wife to explain what had happened. After answering Snow's questions with what he knew, they agreed that Ruby would go shopping for clothes for the girls and that she would arrange Emma's room with Henry's help, to be taken by the girls. Charming would drive as slowly as possible so as not to disturb Regina and buy some time.

Henry was restless in the house because of what had happened to his mothers. No one was sure what had produced the transformation or how to reverse it. Gold was out of town with Belle for at least two more weeks, so his only hope for answers was the Blue Fairy. Although his mother had never trusted the woman, he had no choice at the moment. 

Snow, on the other hand, was very eager to meet her daughter at that stage of her life. If only for a moment, no one could steal her memories of her little girl.

"Snow! Henry! Look who's here." They both rushed to the entrance David had entered with the two girls. The woman broke down in tears at the sight of her little daughter.

"Oh, Emma, you are absolutely perfect!" Snow exclaimed, hugging and kissing the uncomfortable girl. Suddenly her gaze turned to a little Regina hiding behind her husband's legs. She was surprised to see her former nemesis and current friend turned into a frightened little girl. For her, the Queen had always been a representation of strength, even in her worst moments. "You must be Regina. Come here, honey, let me give you a hug."

Henry couldn't get over his amazement. It was the strangest scene he'd ever witnessed in his life. The former Evil Queen, his mother, moved shyly to allow his grandmother to give her a hug. When Snow stopped hugging the girls they both looked at each other and smiled, holding hands. Everyone had to recognize that they were both really adorable.

"My name is Henry and... Umm umm... I live here too." They had agreed with his grandmother not to tell them who he really was to avoid further confusion in the minds of the five-year-olds. Neal's crying diverted attention and Henry was never more relieved to hear those screams.

"So he's my little brother?" Emma said in disgust.

"Emmy you are so lucky! I always wanted a little brother or sister." Although her friend was smiling happily for her, the blonde didn't seem to share her enthusiasm.

"Babies are dumb, Gina. You can't play with them and you have to clean them up because they don't know how to go to the bathroom." Regina opened her eyes with concern.

"Don't talk like that, Emmy. If Mrs. Snow gets mad, we'll be in trouble." Snow detected a slight tremor in the little girl as she spoke. Cora's cruelty was well known to all, but it kept upsetting her to think of the damage the woman had inflicted on her own daughter.

"Nobody's going to get mad, sweetheart. What Emmy feels is normal, but no one will be able to replace the love we feel for her. You know that, right?" The blonde shrugged her arms in feigned indifference but her mother could see through the facade.

"You didn't lose my little brother." She answered by looking at the floor.

"Emma!" exclaimed her aching mother. "Why don't we go upstairs and see the room we've prepared for you?"

Snow was heartbroken at the thought of her daughter's suffering. As an adult, Emma could easily hide her feelings, but at the age of five, she was much easier to read. She regretted not having noticed it sooner, not having observed the signs her daughter must have sent her. Now she understood why Regina insisted on babysitting Neal so they could spend a day together. She knew this was not the time to discuss or think about it; her priority had to be the well-being of the little girls. There would be time for the rest.

The woman led the girl to the room where the clothes Ruby had bought for them were. "Why don't you check the clothes until you find something you like?"

Emma hurried over to the bed and started going through each garment, waving every dress she could find in disgust and quickly discarding it. Regina, however, remained motionless in her place. She just watched her friend and her mother. "What's wrong, honey?" Snow White asked as she realized this.

"Nothing, Mrs. Snow." The little girl put her hands together, looked at her feet and shook her head nervously. "My mother never allows me to choose the clothes I should wear. I do not wish to misbehave." The little blonde stopped and looked at her friend who was on the verge of tears. Her mother reacted promptly by stroking Regina's brown hair sweetly.

"Gina, honey, you're not misbehaving. Why don't we go through the dresses and pick something out together?" With a shy smile the girl nodded and grabbed her hand.

"I want to help too!" Emma took two dresses from the pile of clothes that were now all messed up. "These are the prettiest ones, Gina. Try them on."

Gina took off her shirt and with Snow's help she put on her dress while the little blonde girl wore a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt. They couldn't be more different and yet so similar. "Look at you! You look beautiful. Let's go to the kitchen and get dinner ready." The girls nodded joyfully and came down to find a table full of food.

Emma sat in a chair paying no attention to David and Henry, let alone Neal. Regina waited until David brought her a chair to sit on.

"You can eat whatever you want. Ruby has brought a little bit of everything for you to taste." The man said amicably.

"Gina you have to eat this grilled cheese sandwich!" Emma passed half her food onto her friend's plate.

"It's delicious, Emmy. Can we really eat whatever we want? My mother always says I can't neglect my figure." Everyone at the table frowned. How a mother could install those ideas in a five-year-old's head.

"Don't listen to your mom, Gina. You'll always be the prettiest of them all." Little Emma didn't always understand the words her friend used, but she understood the general idea. Her parents smiled as they watched the girls, but Henry was deep in thought. His mom never let anyone tell him what to do. He didn't want to think about how Cora had made the girl so submissive. He was terrified of discovering the damage that had been done to his mom. 

The dinner went smoothly. The girls answered all the adults' questions until their eyes began to close from exhaustion. David, Snow, and Henry said good night and left the door ajar, thinking they were already asleep.

"Emmy, are you asleep?" Regina whispered as she turned to look at the other bed.

"Not yet, Gina. I'm afraid my parents will send me back like everyone else." The blonde confessed.

"I don't think that will happen. I would never send Emmy back. You're the best friend I ever had. The only one." The brunette said between yawns.

"You're my best friend too, Gina." Both girls gave up in fatigue and closed their eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a short chapter but the other part still needs some work. Thank you very much for your comments and support. It means the world to me. I'll try to update the story tomorrow. Happy pride for everyone!

It was four a.m. when little Regina felt someone gently pushing her and whispering her name. She opened her eyes slowly and rubbed them with one hand. "Emmy?" The little blonde had her face wet from the tears coming from her eyes, she was biting her lower lip to try and hold back her sobs.

"I had a nightmare, Gina." The little brunette got up from her bed and inspected her friend. She was shaking slightly and trying to cover a spot on her pants with her hands.

"Did you wet the bed?" Emma nodded at her feet, embarrassed.

"Now it's safe to say that my parents will send me back. No one wants a girl who wets the bed." Her friend hugged her tightly. She wasn't going to let her suffer.

"Your parents won't find out, Emmy. I'll help you hide it." The little girl ran to the closet where Snow had taken her pajamas and got out a pair of dry pants and a pair of panties for her friend to change into. "Take this, go to the bathroom."

"But the sheets are all wet. They'll notice, Gina." The blonde started to get agitated while Gina was thinking about how to solve the problem.

"I know! You go to the bathroom and I'll talk to Henry about helping us. He's older than us but he's not an adult yet." Emma wasn't convinced that the plan would work but she didn't have a better idea and her friend seemed very determined to make it work. 

As the little girl went to the bathroom to clean herself up, Regina walked quietly to the couch where Henry was sleeping and gently called him.

"Mom?" The boy answered in his sleep.

"No, it's me, Gina. Henry I need your help but you have to promise me it's going to be our secret." It took him a few seconds to wake up but he nodded in slumber. He let his little mother carry him into the room and rushed to get the sheets off the bed. The mattress was wet too. Henry didn't know what to do to dry it. He didn't remember what his mother used to do when he had nighttime accidents. His other mother came into the room with the soiled clothes in hand.

"I'll put the laundry in the wash, and then we'll see what to do with the mattress." The boy left the room by gently closing the door. Regina went over to her friend and hugged her, assuring her that everything would be all right.

"What's wrong, girls?" The little girls opened their eyes in surprise to see Snow standing in front of them. Emma started crying desperately and covered her face with her hands.

"I wet the bed, Mrs. Snow. I'm so sorry." The little brunette was quick to say. After all, she had assured her friend that everything would be all right, and if that meant she had to take the blame and be punished for it, she didn't care. Emmy was worth any punishment.

The woman was no idiot, no matter how much the adult Regina had insisted. It was obvious that her daughter was the one who had wet the bed. She was sorry that her daughter was so scared that she couldn't tell the truth about it. There was much she did not yet know about her child's childhood.

"Come, sit on the bed with me. Sometimes accidents happen, no one is going to punish you for it. I have your care in my charge and I won't let anything bad happen to you. You are the nicest girls I have ever known and nothing makes me happier to have you here with me. No matter what happens, you'll always have a home here." Emma had settled down under her mother's touch. She was relieved by Snow's words and happy for her friend's support. No one had ever stood up for her like that before. Gina didn't deserve to take the blame, even if nothing bad was going to happen to her because of it.

"It was me." The little girl said softly leaning over her mother's body.

"I know, honey. I love you. I've always loved you and I'm always going to love you, that's never going to change."

The next morning, David entered the kitchen to meet his wife preparing breakfast. Seeing the look on his face, he knew something was wrong. "What is on your mind?"

"Emma wet the bed last night. She was so afraid I'd find out that Regina said she did it. David, what did we do?" Her eyes were red from crying. Her husband hugged her from behind.

"I know, my love. I know. Not a day goes by that I don't regret putting our daughter in that wardrobe." They had both carried that guilt for many years, but it was only then that they realized their daughter had taken the brunt of it.

"Maybe this is our chance, David. Maybe we can make up for lost time if we don't undo what happened. I know it's horrible what I'm saying." She knew her husband would understand her better than anyone.

"We can't do that to Emma or Henry or Regina. Let's make the most of the days we have left with our little girl." Just then, the girls came down with Henry already changed into their daytime clothes.

"What time does the Blue Fairy arrive?" The boy asked his grandparents. Although only one day had passed, he really missed his two mothers.

"She'll be here in an hour. Let's have breakfast." David put the plates on the table. Everyone noticed how Emmy and Gina couldn't stop looking at each other and holding hands every chance they got. Earlier than expected, the Blue Fairy came to the door.

None of the girls seemed comfortable with his presence. However, while Emma looked at her with suspicion, Regina seemed to be frightened by the nun.

"So you found them like this? I can feel the presence of magic." The Fairy concluded dryly.

"Can you reverse it?" Henry asked anxiously.

"It will take a couple of days but I can surely prepare a potion that will work." Hearing about magic and potions the little brunette ran to her room. Her friend was quick to follow her. The adults took the opportunity to continue talking about things the girls couldn't hear.

"Gina, why did you leave?" The girl was sitting in the corner of the room, hugging her legs.

"Magic is bad, Emmy." Her voice was insecure and fearful.

"Magic doesn't exist in this world." The little blond girl sat in front of her friend on the floor and smiled at her.

"When my mother gets angry with me, she uses magic to punish me. It hurts so much." Emmy had her own experience with corporal punishment but it had never involved magic. Although she found it hard to imagine a world in which magic was real, she knew her friend wouldn't lie to her.

"I don't think my parents will do anything to hurt us. I promise you that if they want to do something to us with magic, I'll go first to make sure everything's okay." Little Regina approached her friend without standing and rested her head on her chest while the other one hugged and kissed the top of her head. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First I want to thank you for your support and your comments. It means a lot to me. From this point on the story will take another direction. I hope you enjoy it.

The Charmings were ecstatic about the girls' presence in their daily lives. They had to make some changes in their routine to spend as much time as possible caring for the children. Having three small children could be chaotic. Fortunately, Henry was a big help, even though he was the most uncomfortable with his situation. Regina was fascinated by the new things in that world, slowly losing the fears she had at the beginning of the transformation. Like her friend, Emma became increasingly comfortable with her family, even calling her newfound parents mom or dad.

The family outings became a spectacle for all Storybrooke neighbors. No one wanted to miss seeing their Sheriff and Mayor turned into little girls. For this reason, their meals at Granny's were not entirely pleasant.

"How are my favorite little girls?" Ruby asked to approach her table to take the order. The girls smiled and asked her to visit the kitchen to say hello to Granny. "How could I say no to you two?" The waitress had a good laugh. Who would have thought the harsh Regina would become so attached to the locals so quickly.

"Granny!" The little brunette exclaimed, opening her arms. "It smells delicious in here!"

"Look what I have for you." The woman had formed a special bond with the little girl. They both enjoyed spending time together cooking. She cut a piece of freshly baked apple pie and gave it to the little girl. Emma looked on expectantly, knowing that there would be something for her too. A grilled cheese sandwich was handed to her with a smile. "Now go eat at the table and I'll be there in a few minutes."

The girls returned to their table with a big smile on their faces. Little Regina's relationship with food was still troubling, but Ruby and Granny were a big help. "I hope you like the pie, Gina. Granny made it especially for you."

"Thank you, Miss Ruby. It's amazing. I hope that when I have to marry a king, I'll be allowed to eat these delicacies, too." Little Emma frowned and left her sandwich abruptly on the plate.

"Why are you marrying a king, Gina?" Over the days, the little girl had become more possessive of her friend.

"My mother says it's my duty to become queen and for that, I must marry a king." The disgust that this idea provoked in the little brunette was evident. Snow bit her lower lip exchanging glances with her husband.

"I don't want you to marry a king, Gina." The little girl looked at her friend indignantly at the thought that someone might push her away.

"It's what my mother wants, Emmy. I can't do anything about it." Regina looked at her friend apologizing with her eyes, while the adults watched them with a sorrowful expression.

"When I grow up, I'm going to buy a giant house, Gina, and ask you to marry me!" The determination with which her friend spoke left her surprised.

"But two women can't get married, Emmy!" Henry had been baffled throughout the conversation. The situation was very strange, even for his family.

"Gina, in this world you can marry anyone you want. The most important thing here is love." The boy tried to remember the words his mother had used to explain to him what respect for all kinds of love meant, but even the girls were too young to talk to them about non-binary identities, sexual attraction and so on.

"Then I don't want to go back to the Enchanted Forest! I'll marry Emmy who I love the most." The little brunette hugged her friend tightly and they both smiled.

After lunch, the Charmings had planned to take the girls to the park to teach them how to ride their bikes. However, Emmy asked her mother to spend some time alone. This puzzled everyone because the blonde was very dependent on what Gina was doing. 

It was hard to tell who was more enthusiastic about bikes, the little brunette or David. "We'll start with the training wheels. When you feel safe we can take them off, Gina." The girl nodded as she got on the pink bike she had bought. For the first time, Regina had the chance to play like another child, at least as a child of that reality. Her mother would never allow any activity unworthy of royalty. Although she was still very homesick, she found the changes she was experiencing with that family refreshing.

When Charming removed the support wheels, the little brunette was a little afraid but determined to make it. She looked over her man to where the man was with Neal in his arms and Henry. They were both smiling broadly and encouraging her to try. After taking a deep breath, she put her feet on the pedals and started to pedal resolutely. She heard behind her the applause and the shouts of encouragement as the air cooled her down as she picked up speed.

Snow White and Emma were walking through the city streets. The woman looked at her daughter somewhat uneasy because of the worried expression she saw on her face. Clearly something was bothering her. Although their relationship had progressed, she had yet to discover much about her little girl. 

"I need to ask you a big favor, Mommy." The blonde looked at her mother with pleading eyes until the woman smiled and nodded expectantly. "If I'm going to marry Gina, I need to give her a ring and I don't have any money." She looked at her feet in distress. No one had ever given her anything that she could keep. Even though she was just a child, she had understood that no matter how much she wanted something, she was not going to get it, but she needed to at least try. 

"Of course, Emmy. Although you have to know that Gina won't love you any less if you don't give her a ring." Emma hugged her mother's legs. The woman wrapped her in her arms in a loving way.

"Thank you, Mommy! Thank you! I promise not to ask you for anything else." Snow showed him the way to the jewelry store in town, while asking him what he had in mind. When they arrived at the place they spent quite a while looking at the different jewels. Emma needed it to be perfect, Gina deserved the most beautiful thing she could find. Once they found the right ring, her mother asked them to add a chain so that when they both grew up the brunette could wear it as a necklace.

Emma and Snow were in the house reading a story, when the other family members arrived chatting and laughing after a wonderful day. "Emmy! I learned how to ride a bike." Regina ran to her friend. "I was going fast as the wind!" The blonde clearly shared his enthusiasm, but she was nervous about the gift.

"You should have seen her. She was walking around in no time." David gave Neal to his mother, who was smiling funny.

"It's true! He only fell once. I don't think anyone learns as fast as Gina." Henry commented proudly on his little mother. Although she had scraped her knee and part of her arm, the girl did not complain. She had immediately got back on the bike.

"We're going to have to disinfect that." Snow frowned at David, who shrugged his arms and smiled. The brunette showed her scratches to Emma as she told her how brave she had been. "The Blue Fairy has called me. She's got everything ready. He'll be by in a few minutes to get the girls to drink the potion." Her husband looked at her with a sad look on his face. The days they had spent with the girls had been a real gift, but it had to come to an end for everyone's sake, especially for Henry's. "Emmy, why don't you go to the room with Gina and give her her surprise?"

The girls quickly went upstairs, leaving the adults on the ground floor. The little blonde was eager to see her friend's face when she saw the ring but something in her eyes worried her. "What's wrong, Gina?" The little brunette moved nervously as in the first days.

"The lady who does magic is coming. Didn't you hear your mother, Emmy?" The little girl held the package tightly when she saw the fear in her friend.

"Nothing bad is going to happen, Gina. Here, I chose this for you." Regina carefully disassembled the package, finding the wrapper too beautiful to break. She opened the box and smiled at the ring her friend had bought her.

"It's beautiful, Emmy! I love it." The little ones hugged each other sweetly. Although neither knew what would happen when the Blue Fairy arrived they were both sure that together they could face anything.

"You won't have to worry about marrying a king anymore, Gina. With this ring your mother will know you're engaged to me." The little girl smiled bitterly. Too many thoughts occupied her mind. She did not want to return to the Enchanted Forest if it meant leaving that life behind, but she missed her parents as well. She had never been away from home so long before.

"Whatever happens, Emmy, I love you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I've been away so long, this year is crazy. I'm finishing the story, so I hope to be able to upload chapters more often. Thanks for the comments. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Little Regina was still too afraid of the inevitable use of magic on her. Although she trusted what Emma was telling her, she was too experienced with the use of those arts to be at ease. She tried to calm down while listening to the conversation that the adults had on the first floor with the Blue Fairy, but she was not successful in her attempt. She really wanted to avoid any interaction with magic. She wondered if maybe the Charmings were trying to get her back with her family, and although she was homesick, she had no intention of abandoning her best friend.

An idea crossed her mind and she adopted it with great determination. "I'm so sorry, Emmy. I have to get away from here." The little blonde's eyes opened in surprise. Quickly a desolate expression settled on her face.

"You can't do it, Gina. You promised we wouldn't be apart." The little girls hugged each other tightly. Emma was too confused. For one thing, she didn't want to abandon her family. Her parents, despite having abandoned her, had been nothing but loving and kind to her. She had even grown fond of Henry, and even her younger brother, Neal, was not so bad. But on the other hand, he couldn't conceive of happiness away from Gina: "I don't want you to leave me, Gina. Please!" Her voice was just a sob.

Regina felt her heart being squeezed. The last thing she wanted was to cause Emmy any harm, but her fear was too great. The memories of her mother immobilizing her with her magic, hurting her to behave, were too heavy for her. She gently took her friend's face in her hands and looked at her firmly. "I will find you, Emmy. When all this is over, we will meet again." Giving her one last hug and a kiss, she hurried out of the room, not without looking back to see her friend one last time. At that moment, she didn't care how long it took or how difficult it was, she would be back with Emma. Whatever it took.

The little brunette walked down the stairs as quietly as possible, glanced quickly at the room where the adults were debating, and walked out the back door.

"Are you sure it's not a dangerous potion? Snow asked the Blue Fairy nervously.

"There's always some risk in these kinds of potions, but the women's lives are not in danger. My loyalty is with you, my Queen. Even if it means helping the Evil Queen, I will not disappoint you." She assured her dryly. The former queen still did not seem convinced of the plan. Part of her hated having to say goodbye to her little daughter again, but she knew she had to. It was useless to try to change the past.

"Snow, we have to try. I know it's difficult, we've discussed it. David pleaded with her with the same resigned expression of sadness. His wife simply nodded in near-absence.

The adults went upstairs to talk to the girls. They all knew that it would not be easy to convince them to drink the potion, but they hoped to have gained their trust in the short time they had shared.

When they arrived at the girls' room, the little blond girl was sitting at the foot of the bed with her knees on her chest, covering her face with her arms, crying inconsolably.

"Emmy, honey. What happened?" Her mother asked her sweetly as she bent down to comfort her daughter. The woman looked around and noticed the little brunette's absence immediately. "Where is Gina?"

Emma looked at her mother with tears on her face and pounced on her, holding her by the neck in a heart-rending embrace. "She's gone, Mom. She left me!" The little girl confessed without lifting her head from her shoulder. Snow looked at the rest of them in bewilderment, stroking her little girl's back.

"We have to find her," Henry hurriedly said, looking at his grandfather. "She's only five years old, she can't have gone far.

Charming looked at the Blue Fairy with a bitter expression. "She's afraid of magic. Of course she was going to escape."

\- - -

Cora had told Regina that the world was a hostile place too many times for the little girl to walk alone in peace. "The only safe place is your home, Regina. It is not like a princess to wander the streets." Her mother's voice echoed in her mind. She felt the need to find shelter urgently. He had no doubt where his safe place was. Before he could get there, he ran into Ruby.

"Take it easy, Gina. What are you doing here? Where's Emmy?" The woman looked at her with the usual kindness, but quite surprised by the encounter. It was obvious that something was not right. Snow would never let Gina walk the streets alone, especially since the girl had no knowledge of who she was as an adult, and the risk involved. In addition, the little brunette was obviously agitated and moved around nervously.

"I need to talk to Granny, please, Miss Ruby." The woman felt a protective instinct and lifting the little girl in her arms she went to her grandmother. Both she and her grandmother had become deeply attached to Gina, almost adopting her as part of their family in those days.

"What's going on here, Ruby?" Granny looked worriedly at the little girl who was hugging her granddaughter. Quickly the little brunette stretched her arms out to the woman and hid her head in her neck, sobbing almost silently.

"I don't want to go back to the Charmings, please. There's a lady who scares the hell out of me who wants to do magic with me. At that moment, both women understood what it was all about. Although they both felt the urge to protect the girl, they knew that she needed to drink the potion to reverse the spell.

"Calm down, my little puppy." The older woman sat on a chair still holding the girl, caressing her sweetly. "Not all magic is bad, Gina. There are potions that are created to protect those who drink them, not to hurt them.

"Tell me something, Gina." Ruby asked him to kneel down in front of them. "Do you trust us?" The little girl nodded with conviction. "Do you trust Snow, David, Emmy? The little girl nodded again. "I have known them for many years and I know they would not be able to hurt you. Granny and I are going to protect you from any danger, and if you feel more at ease with us, we will be there for you.

"Please don't force me to come back. I promise I will behave very well... I can help you cook Granny or clean the tables... I will be very good... Please don't take me to the bad fairy." Gina begged between sobs as she clung tightly to the old woman's shirt. The women's hearts were squeezed with pain at these pleas. They knew that even if they tried to reassure her, they would not succeed because of the terrible panic the child was in.

"You are already good, little one, and we love you like that. Just the way you are. If we could do that, you would stay with us. At that moment, David and Henry stormed into the dining room.

"Gina!" The man exclaimed visibly relieved. "We were so worried about you, honey. The little brunette began to cry more desperately, with heartbreaking sobs. It was a horrible scene to witness.

"Look at her, David. She is clearly terrified. You have to find another way to reverse the spell. I will not allow you to take Gina away in this state! Ruby looked at him threateningly.

Henry had watched the whole situation without moving from his place. It hurt him to see his mother in such a state, he didn't want her to suffer that way much less for him. He missed his daily life with his mothers too much, not only the fact that they spoiled him, he missed absolutely every moment they shared. He missed Regina overprotecting him, her sarcastic and threatening comments, her sense of humor, her meals and even her penances. Emma had already agreed to drink the potion, but one mother was not enough.

The teenager remembered how some time ago she had wished to have as a mother only the savior, how she had doubted the love of the one who had been the Evil Queen and could not hold back her tears. He felt great anguish pierce his chest and fell to his knees. "Please!" He managed to exclaim almost like a sigh. Everyone turned to see him, stunned by his reaction.

"Regina spoke to him, wiping her tears with the cuff of her shirt. The little girl jumped from Granny's lap and rushed to where the teenager was. "Are you hurt?"

Her son only shook his head as he looked at his mother. "I miss my mom, Gina, so much. I need her back. Please, you have to drink the potion." The child looked at him puzzled by his explanation.

"Where is your mother, Henry?" The little brunette did not understand what the potion could have to do with the fact that Henry was not with his mother.

"I can only ask you to trust me. He took her by the hand and looked her in the eyes begging. "Please." Although Gina didn't seem entirely sure, she wanted to help Henry as he had helped her with Emmy's accident. If he had trusted her, she should do the same. It was the right thing to do.

"It's okay, Henry. I'll do it." The adults smiled hopefully for the first time. "Can Miss Ruby and Granny come with us?

"Of course, honey." David responded with a smile.

"Don't worry, my puppy. If anyone tries anything funny, they'll have to face my crossbow. The old woman said, showing her fangs and winking.

Snow was in the girls' room next to the Blue Fairy, eagerly watching her daughter sleeping in bed. She had obtained some hospital gowns for the girls to wear to prevent the clothing from hurting them as they transformed. According to the nun, the potion was going to take a few minutes to work. During that time, the women would remain asleep until their bodies and minds assimilated the transformation. They were not entirely sure if they would remember any of their time as children, although they hoped they would.

Although still scared, Regina summoned up the courage to face the situation. With the extra support of Ruby and Granny she felt protected. She knew that no one in the house wanted to harm her, but she still found it difficult to trust the Blue Fairy. The waitress helped her to undress and put on the huge hospital gown. Snow explained to her that just a few minutes before, Emmy had drunk the potion and that's why she was sleeping.

"Granny asked worriedly, "Are you ready, little one? "Remember, I'll be right here. After kissing her sleeping friend, the little girl nodded and looked around for the last time, closed her eyes and drank the potion.

\- - -

David, Henry and Ruby waited in the hallway outside the room, waiting for something to happen. "We have to be patient, it's only been a few minutes. The man expressed with a weak smile. "Our family has gotten out of worse situations, Henry. We just have to have faith." His grandson smiled at him and immediately stared at the door, hoping that everything would return to normal.

Inside the room, Snow and Granny were going crazy. The physical change had already taken place, but not in the way they had expected. Emma and Regina had returned to adulthood but looked much younger, and the brunette's body was covered in bruises of varying sizes and colors. She seemed to have taken a big beating or several blows in a short period of time. The blonde's body was thinner and less toned.

"What happened? What went wrong?" The former queen asked her loyal subject as she nervously walked between the beds. The nun was assessing the women's bodies with an incorruptible expression.

"I am very sorry, Your Majesty. It seems that I have failed to prepare the potion and it has not entirely reversed the original spell. The old woman pointed the crossbow in a threatening manner.

"That doesn't explain why my Gina is covered in bruises. If you don't want an arrow to go through her body, give me a convincing explanation." The Blue Fairy got up slowly from the bed shaking her head and directed a quick look at who her queen was.

"The state of their bodies has nothing to do with what I have done. You have to remember that the girls you knew are no longer among us. Your Gina has never really existed and is no longer here. That woman's words hurt more than both women would have believed. After all, they were true.

Before either could respond, Emma woke up abruptly. The blonde looked around in disorientation. "Where am I?" The woman muttered barely audibly. Her gaze fell on the brunette woman's body and she jumped up. "Who are you? What have you done to this woman?" She threw herself in front of the bed, protecting the unconscious woman.

"Emma, please calm down!" Her mother desperately pleaded with him about her daughter's unexpected reaction. "She asked who had made the potion. The Blue Fairy approached the blonde with caution as she watched her carefully while she tried to keep her distance without allowing her to get close to the brunette.

"How old are you, Emma?" The woman finally inquired.

"Why should I tell you? I know my rights! You are the ones who have to explain what you are doing. Is that a crossbow?" Emma was agitated and Granny tried to hide her gun behind her back. Suddenly, Regina slowly got up on the bed, interrupting her protector. The brunette looked around in confusion as she did not recognize those rooms but did not get overexcited in the least. Finally she recognized one of the faces around her.

"What have you done with me now, you wicked creature? She threw the question charged with contempt for the Blue Fairy.

"Do you know each other? Is she the one who has hurt you?" Emma faced that woman. The brunette took a few seconds to understand what the blonde was referring to and covered her body with the sheet when she noticed the state she was in. Although it was not exactly new, she hated the thought of those villagers discovering her ordeal.

"No." The Queen replied dryly as she took her head. At that moment her expression became somber and distant, inaccessible to all present. "And watch how you address me. I am the Queen after all."

Emma opened her eyes in confusion and laughed, "Queen? Is this a madhouse?" Granny shook her head back and forth. It really was all crazy.

"This is too much for me. I'm going to wait outside with the rest. Your Highness." The woman said, addressing the former Evil Queen, looking at her with great sorrow and intuiting what had caused her battered body.

"Emma, Regina I need you to listen to me. Snow implored them both.

"And why should I? I don't owe you anything after all and it's Queen Regina to you too." The brunette said with disdain.

"Queen Regina, I am Princess Snow. The young woman was relieved to know that her former stepmother had probably returned at an age before the Evil Queen existed. Regina watched her carefully for a few seconds and opened her eyes to the stranger's resemblance to her stepdaughter.

"Queen Regina? Princess Snow? I had a nervous breakdown or some shit like that? Emma expressed incredulously to the nun who seemed to be the only one sane enough to understand her.

"This is impossible! Princess Snow is just a kid." The brunette continued to ignore the blonde completely. Snow sighed as he looked at both women and tried his best to explain the current situation. She could see how her daughter didn't believe any of her words. After all, hearing about magic, potions and other worlds was a hard thing for anyone to swallow.

"Wow, lady, princess or whatever. Wait a second," the blonde interrupted her by stretching her arms upward clearly upset by the explanation. "You expect us to believe what exactly? In magic? In fairy tales? This is crazy!" Her mother looked at her bitterly, until that moment she had held out a small hope that both women would remember at least some of the time they had spent together, but that feeling had quickly dissipated. "The savior asked the brunette, who simply shrugged her shoulders.

Emma sat on the bed imploring him with her eyes to react somehow, the woman had shown nothing but indifference to the situation. "This has to be a cult or some shit like that." The blonde said more to herself, becoming more and more desperate, until her eyes fell on the pendant around the other woman's neck. She reached out for it until she noticed some fear in the brunette and stopped. "I've seen that ring before. I thought it was a dream... Gina? The blonde finally said with her eyes full of tears remembering who her friend had been.

"Emmy?" Regina smiled broadly and took her hand. Turning her head to her stepdaughter, she sighed. "Snow. You... you took care of me..." She cleared her throat when her voice broke just barely. "So we're caught in a spell?

"I'm afraid so, Regina. But we will find a way to reverse it and get everything back to normal. Although his words were meant to be reassuring, he noted how the woman changed her countenance despite her silence and lack of expression. "Here, we have your clothes. We will wait for you outside." 

"It didn't work, did it? Henry asked as soon as he saw the women leave the room knowing the answer.

"If you will allow me, Your Majesty, I think I can adjust the potion to make it effective. The Blue Fairy offered her services again.

"We can't take any more chances. I think it's time to call Gold. Everyone looked on silently, considering the possibility of involving The Dark One, knowing they would be left in debt.

The women left the room looking uncomfortably at the group of people waiting for them in the hallway. Regina's dress exposed her bruises on her arms and legs, making the woman quite uncomfortable.

"Mommy! What happened to you?" Her son exclaimed so horrified to see his mother hurt that he forgot that women did not know of her existence.

"Mommy?!" The brunette asked, opening her eyes in shock. "That's impossible!

"Umm... Not really... I'm your son, Henry." The boy did not understand his mother's reaction, after all she had always told him that she had adopted him because of her great desire to be a mother. The former Evil Queen looked at Snow with contempt and fury.

"Stupid spoiled child!" Regina exclaimed and slapped her hard before anyone could react.


End file.
